Samoan Cultural Night brings ministry to the bush

The joyful sounds of Samoan music have rung out across Bourke and Brewarrina over the past week, with a group of parishioners from Victoria making the trek to the far west to honour their former parish priest, Father Oche.

The visit began with an evening of Samoan music and culture in the grounds of the Back O’Bourke Exhibition Centre on Thursday, followed by a visit to St Patrick’s Church in Brewarrina where the group sang for Mass on Saturday, and Mass in the Holy Spirit Church in Bourke on Sunday.

The long trek from St Albans Catholic Parish to Bourke is part of the extraordinary story of Father Oche, his love of music and the deep bonds he has formed with members of his parishes.

The 14 members of the St Francis Choir from the Holy Eucharist Church in the St Albans Parish in Melbourne travelled the 857 kilometres to catch up with their friend and former chaplain, for what was not just a social occasion but a cultural and spiritual exchange with members of the Bourke and Brewarrina parishes.[…]

Read more in the printed edition of The Western Herald.

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